My fifth AWA, and this time located at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta. The hotel was very nice, even if it was an expensive place to stay at. This year's theme for the con was punk, which is why the program book looks like some three year-old put it together. Though, unlike the program book, the con ran more rigid than its usual weekend of anarchy. This made the con a bit dull from the previous cons.

Some of the things that annoyed me at this years con:  Staff that bitched when people took pictures of cosplayers, A less than lively Cosplay, and a smaller Dealer's room with none of the really good stuff there.

Now some of the good things at this year's con:  The hidden con suite on the third floor, the unofficial dealer's room on the third floor, the mall across the street, and Toonami's showing of the Endless Waltz.

Though I didn't really go checkout the panels that were going on, I did get to meet several interesting people at the convention for the first (or maybe third, fifth, tenth?) time. Got to really get to know some of the dealers who go to just about every anime convention. And I even got to meet with some of the new members from JAS (the Anime Club from Western Carolina University, which I help founded), though I think I just scared them.   ^^;

This year's guests were:  Steve Bennett (you can't have a anime con without Steve), Michael Brady (Voice Actor), Jessica Calvello (Voice Actress), Clay Croker (a.k.a. Zorak), Stephanie Gladden (Power Puff Girls), and Lisa Ortiz (Voice Actress) to name a few.

Other things that happen at the con that you might have missed:  Toga party on the second floor, the strippin' male Nadia, The Limbo from Hell, drunken cute cat-girls on every floor, fansubbers on the sixth, that wedding party on the fifteenth floor, and (of course) the closing ceremonies.

Though I do believe that the Sixth AWA was less thrilling, I will still attend next year's. The fact that it is going to be in the Sheraton Gateway Atlanta International Convention Center shows that its going big-time. Also, it is becoming now a place to meet up with old friends from school and on the internet, and less for watching anime for me; I guess I am just getting old or something. Finally, I don't care what the people say, WASHU is da bomb!  Seeya next year. . .